Last updated: Wednesday, 6 August 2008, 15:02 GMT
Pulse of the Off Price Show
Pulse of the Show
Buyers, Exhibitors and Show Management give us the word from the street in different parts of the country as to what’s going on in the market and what we can expect to see at the upcoming August Show.
WEST COAST
From Diane Murray of Off Price Network (Salon V).
There seems to be emerging a little bit of newness, which is now going into better juniors because of price. The young are going into the better juniors and places like Forever 21.
On the other end, people need to start looking at the market catering to women 35 and older, or what they call “Fashion for women who’ve had two babies.” Bloomingdale’s is opening a department for women 35 and older this Fall, so they are trying to get resources that have a fashion look. Strong buyers in the chains are looking for the fashions, a reason to buy something new. If I have a pair of basic black pants, I don’t need another one.
Some of the key retailers - off price and otherwise – are missing that whole market of women 30 to 35 and beyond that need a fuller fit garment with the same new look. Fabrizzio Giani is what Bloomingdale’s has in, and you can get it in the off price market. For those who don’t know, Fabrizzio Gianni is high fashion denim for these women that can look like “skinny jeans.” Off Price Network just grabbed it!
Not Your Daughter’s Jeans is also very hot right now because they can be worn by someone who can’t buy the designer jeans.
Dresses are a good business because women haven’t had a good dress in years.
MORE OUT WEST FROM THE EDITOR
A little further west, two new buyers attending the August show hail from a Hawaiian boutique that was summed up by a recent blogger as “tropical breeze with a touch of Melrose funk.” The music in the store is a mix of old school hip hop and top 40. There is something for everyone in this shop whether you’re the kind of woman who prefers the tattoo graphic look or the more bebe-ish style. Brands available include David Kahn, Anama, MM Couture by Miss Me, Soundgirl, Jenny N. Collection, Kersh, Brokedown and Omni. Their merchandise ranges from $40 - $90 but the sale rack has excellent pieces with generous markdowns on already reasonable prices.
MIDWEST
From the Off Price Specialist Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
In our February post-show survey, 50% of the buyers indicated that they want to see more handbags and accessories at our August Show, while more than one-third of our buyers want to see more designer wear and footwear.
Just like the February Show, the pre-registration for August shows a strong presence from both new and international buyers, with some overlap between the two categories. The international buyers are coming primarily to take advantage of the weak dollar as well as purchase branded items that are in popular demand “back home.”
One of our new buyers is a dollar store owner in Michigan that is looking for clothing and shoes. Since dollar stores have been struggling as of late, this savvy retailer has had success with new items that are “more than a dollar.” In particular, new lines of apparel are big sellers at his Saginaw location.
The Off Price Apparel Association is pleased to report that record-breaking proceeds are being raised to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Hospital, the Building Fund for Wake County Hospice and the Brain Center of New Seabury, MA. The fund-raising efforts are being conducted as part of the 2008 Off Price Industry Man of the Year honoring Peter Hayes of Variety Wholesalers. Both Mr. Hayes and the association are extremely grateful to Variety’s buyers and vendors who have generously supported this campaign.
EAST COAST
David Abbate of Lady Rose Shops
The Urban Market, which has been slow for the last couple of years has “just dropped” according to one of our longtime buyers from New York. A good example is the Rocco Wear brand, whose sales are way down. Ed Hardy is taking over where Urban brands were once on top.
Denim is really big all over the East Coast. Although cheaper isn’t doing that great, anything between $200 and $400 is huge right now.
In New York, spandex Capris with ballet slippers akin to the Madonna look of the 1980s have become very popular.
Knit shorts, or any knit for that matter, is big and will continue to be through the Fall. Light is really big. For example, tank tops can’t even keep on the shelf.
CANADA
A small buying team representing a Canadian retailer with over 300 stores is looking for giftware at the August Off Price Show, in addition to men’s and women’s apparel.
One of our newer attendees is a Director of Buying for a women’s contemporary retailer with over twenty stores in Ontario. She reports that:
Just as in the US, business has certainly been challenging the past few years with weather patterns and gas prices negatively affecting sales. Although we are not experiencing it to the same degree as in the US, customers are very careful with their disposable income. In order to intrigue them, retailers must offer novelty that is not available everywhere at compelling price points. This last factor has led us to investigate the Off Price Show, which we have not done in the past. The Canadian consumer also demands quality and value for her dollar. This is important to us when shopping the Off Price market. It is not good enough to offer low prices, we must offer quality, value and style. She is very savvy and knows what is in style and what is old. She also demands a good fit. Our customer is a contemporary customer that wants a Missy fit.